Beautiful NEW Homes in San Ramon! Starting from 4 bedrooms 3 & 1 half baths, 3955 SQFT @ $1,564,995 up to 5 bedrooms with 5 and 1 half bath 6645 SQFT @ $1,785,995.
Contact me for more info.
Contact me for more info.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Your Budget for 2014
Like most people, you've probably overextended yourself by spending more than you had budgeted for the holiday season. Now that it's the beginning of the year, a budget has never been more important.
Before trying to establish your budget, you need to start with the basics and understand what you are currently spending your money on. In a month how much do you spend on groceries, gas for the cars, heating, electric and water, cable and internet? You should also look at your expenses for going out to lunch or dinner, and extra-curricular activities for the kids.
After you have determined what your monthly expenses are, it's time to sit down and begin planning your budget. First, list out on a spreadsheet how much you are spending on each of your monthly bills. For example:
Once you have listed your monthly bills, calculate what you are spending per month on other expenses, like entertainment expenses. List them out on the spreadsheet as well:
Don't forget some of your bills come on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. It's best to begin saving for those bills now, so when they come due, you will already have money set aside. Add these onto the spreadsheet as well.
Once you have a full listing of your month-to-month bills, entertainment expenses and non-monthly bills, you are now ready to create your family budget.
Let's assume you get paid twice per month. For your quarterly, semi-annual, and annual bills, figure out how much you need to save each paycheck in order to have enough money saved when the bills comes due.
For example, if your life insurance policy has an annual renewal amount of $300, that means you need to save $25 per month in order to have the $300 available each year ($300/12 months). If you get paid twice per month, you need to save $12.50 per paycheck in order to have the $300 available at the end of the year.
Now do the same with your monthly bills and entertainment expenses. Figure out what you need to save each paycheck in order to pay the bill at the end of the month. For example, your $100 per month electric bill, you need to save $50 per paycheck and for the $1500 per month mortgage; you need to save $750 per paycheck, and so on.
Once you have all your monthly bills, entertainment expenses and non-monthly bills listed and broken down to what you need to save per paycheck, add up your total expenses and compare the total against the gross amount of your paycheck. Are your expenses greater than, less than, or equal to your gross pay?
If your total monthly expenses are greater than your gross pay, by building a budget you are now able to clearly see where you are spending and where you might be able to cut back. Since your rent or mortgage is probably a non-negotiable monthly payment, you'll need to find other expenses that you can cut back on, such as entertainment. By making the change now, you can start to plan for a secure financial future.
Before trying to establish your budget, you need to start with the basics and understand what you are currently spending your money on. In a month how much do you spend on groceries, gas for the cars, heating, electric and water, cable and internet? You should also look at your expenses for going out to lunch or dinner, and extra-curricular activities for the kids.
After you have determined what your monthly expenses are, it's time to sit down and begin planning your budget. First, list out on a spreadsheet how much you are spending on each of your monthly bills. For example:
- Electric: $100
- Internet/Cable/Phone: $200
- Groceries: $250
- Gas: $120
- Water Bill: $35
- Mortgage or Rent: $1500
- Car Payment: $350
Once you have listed your monthly bills, calculate what you are spending per month on other expenses, like entertainment expenses. List them out on the spreadsheet as well:
- Son's baseball camp: $250
- Daughter's gymnastics: $100
- Family dinner nights out: $250
- Weekly lunches out: $50
Don't forget some of your bills come on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. It's best to begin saving for those bills now, so when they come due, you will already have money set aside. Add these onto the spreadsheet as well.
- Tax Bills
- Life Insurance
- Homeowners Insurance
- Car Insurance
Once you have a full listing of your month-to-month bills, entertainment expenses and non-monthly bills, you are now ready to create your family budget.
Let's assume you get paid twice per month. For your quarterly, semi-annual, and annual bills, figure out how much you need to save each paycheck in order to have enough money saved when the bills comes due.
For example, if your life insurance policy has an annual renewal amount of $300, that means you need to save $25 per month in order to have the $300 available each year ($300/12 months). If you get paid twice per month, you need to save $12.50 per paycheck in order to have the $300 available at the end of the year.
Now do the same with your monthly bills and entertainment expenses. Figure out what you need to save each paycheck in order to pay the bill at the end of the month. For example, your $100 per month electric bill, you need to save $50 per paycheck and for the $1500 per month mortgage; you need to save $750 per paycheck, and so on.
Once you have all your monthly bills, entertainment expenses and non-monthly bills listed and broken down to what you need to save per paycheck, add up your total expenses and compare the total against the gross amount of your paycheck. Are your expenses greater than, less than, or equal to your gross pay?
If your total monthly expenses are greater than your gross pay, by building a budget you are now able to clearly see where you are spending and where you might be able to cut back. Since your rent or mortgage is probably a non-negotiable monthly payment, you'll need to find other expenses that you can cut back on, such as entertainment. By making the change now, you can start to plan for a secure financial future.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Santa video
Make a Santa video!!!!
Have some fun and send it to your friends and family.
http://www.portablenorthpole.com/home?emst=J7hJPJNEUA_1314687_46797_7
Have some fun and send it to your friends and family.
http://www.portablenorthpole.com/home?emst=J7hJPJNEUA_1314687_46797_7
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Holiday fun!!!
Try this at your next gift exchange party! So much fun!!
*INTRUCTIONS: GET
IN A CIRCLE, PASS GIFT PACKAGES RIGHT OR LEFT AS CUE WORDS ARE *
READ……
|
The
Right Family Story
|
||
|
|
The
Right Family
Christmas
was almost here and Mother Right was finishing the Christmas baking. Father
Right, Sue Right, and Billy Right returned from their last-minute Christmas
errands. "There's not much left to be done," said Father Right as
he came into the kitchen.
"Did
you leave the basket of food at the church?" asked Mother Right. "I
left it right where you told me to," said Father Right. "I'm glad
my shopping is done," said Billy right. "I don't have any money
left."
The
hall telephone rang, and Susan Right left to answer it. She rushed right back
and told the family, "Aunt Tillie Right left a package for us right on
Grandma Right's front porch. I'll go over there right now and get it,"
she said as she left in a rush. Father Right left the kitchen and brought in
the Christmas tree.
By
the time Susan Right returned, Mother Right, Father Right, and Billy Right
had begun trimming the tree. The entire Right family sang carols as they
finished decorating. Then they left all the presents arranged under the tree
and went to bed, hoping they had selected the right gifts for their family.
Now
I hope you have the right present for yourself, because that's all that's
left of our story...except to wish you a merry Christmas... Isn't that
right??
From:
|
|
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Great news on Short Sales.....
The good news just keeps continuing.
As we anticipated, C.A.R. today received a letter from the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), obtained by the State Board of Equalization, clarifying that California families who have lost their home in a short sale are not subject to state income tax liability on debt forgiveness “phantom income” they never received in a short sale.
Last month, in a letter to California Sen. Barbara Boxer, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recognized that the debt written off in a short sale does not constitute recourse debt under California law, and thus does not create so-called “cancellation of debt” income to the underwater home seller for federal income tax purposes. Following the IRS’s clarification, C.A.R. sought a similar ruling by the California FTB. Now with the FTB’s clarification, underwater home sellers also are assured that they are not subject to state income tax liability, rescuing tens of thousands of distressed home sellers from California tax liability for debt written off by lenders in short sales.
We are pleased with the recent clarifications issued by the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board, which protect distressed homeowners from debt relief income tax associated with a short sale in California. We would like to thank Sen. Boxer and BOE member George Runner for their leadership in obtaining this guidance from the IRS and FTB. Distressed California homeowners can now avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy and can opt for a short sale instead, without incurring federal and state tax liability, even after the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 expires at the end of this year.
Sincerely,
Kevin Brown
2014 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Kevin Brown
2014 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Thursday, November 21, 2013
OF THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD BE THE NEXT PERSON TO MAKE A MOVE?
OF THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD BE THE NEXT PERSON TO MAKE
A MOVE?
Here are the 5 ways I can help them with a successful
transition:
1)
Provide a comprehensive market analysis on the
home they are selling or provide market trends for the area they moving to.
2)
If they are “fixing up” to get ready to sell, I
can provide data on which projects will get the highest resale return on
dollars invested and help them to prioritize which projects are most important
to a buyer so they know how to get the most from their budget and sale.
3)
I can refer them to a list of quality people,
vendors and contractors to assist them with projects beyond their ability or
time constraints.
4)
I will advise them to speak with their financial
consultant for possible tax consequences of their sale.
5)
If they are buying, help them work with a local
professional to get prequalified for their loan and complimentary credit check
to make sure there are no issues to deal with, before they make a commitment.
This also puts buyers in a stronger bargaining position.
6)
If they are out of my immediate market area, I
will provide them with a list of professionals that will give them the same
great care that I would provide; personally.
Well, okay that’s 6 ways, BUT I always go the extra mile for
your referrals. All you have to do to help the people you care about is call or
email me, with their contact information. The sooner, the better, friends don’t
let friends talk to strangers and gamble with what is most likely their largest
asset or purchase. I look forward to hearing from you soon! I’m never too busy
for your referrals.
Sincerely,
Kerri
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Why You Should Consider Listing Your Home Over the Holidays
The holiday season can bring many stresses of its own without adding a home sale to the list. This can keep many sellers on the sidelines or send them pulling their houses off the market until the new year rings in.
But contrary to what you may think, this time of year can actually be a fantastic sweet spot for sellers. Holiday buyers are serious and motivated. Consumer confidence is higher than at any other time of year. And relocating families tend to have more time and reason to shop for a new home over the holidays.
Perhaps the biggest compelling reason the holidays are a good time to list your home is the simple fact that there are fewer homes on the market at this time of year, which means less competition.
In addition, limited inventory has driven up prices in many markets through the year. The national median price for existing homes was $199,200 in September, according to NAR's latest monthly statistics. That was up 11.7% from the same month a year ago and it was the 10th consecutive month of double-digit year-over-year growth.
Mortgage rates also play a factor in holiday home sales. We've been seeing a rise in rates, with Freddie Mac reporting its latest average on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was at 4.35%, up from 4.16% the previous week. Consecutive weekly climbs in interest rates tend to motivate buyers even more.
We know this first hand, and that's why we’ve created a special holiday program to help sellers navigate listing their home over the holidays without sacrificing their sanity or precious time with family.
Our Holiday Marketing Program is designed with seller privacy in mind. There are no for-sale signs in your yard, no lock boxes on your door, no open houses and no advertising identifying your home.
Instead, we’re offering to market your home to our sphere of serious buyers and show your home only by appointment. No fuss. No inconveniences. But you'll be able take advantage of opportunities you'd otherwise miss by waiting until the new year.
And on January 1, 2014, if your home has not sold, it will automatically convert to our exclusive home marketing program. You won't have to start from scratch.
We created this program because in our experience we know that there are a lot of opportunities for sellers over the holidays, but we understand why a homeowner would not want to deal with the stress of listing their home during this time.
If you're interested in learning more, ask an me for more information.
Happy Holidays!
But contrary to what you may think, this time of year can actually be a fantastic sweet spot for sellers. Holiday buyers are serious and motivated. Consumer confidence is higher than at any other time of year. And relocating families tend to have more time and reason to shop for a new home over the holidays.
Perhaps the biggest compelling reason the holidays are a good time to list your home is the simple fact that there are fewer homes on the market at this time of year, which means less competition.
In addition, limited inventory has driven up prices in many markets through the year. The national median price for existing homes was $199,200 in September, according to NAR's latest monthly statistics. That was up 11.7% from the same month a year ago and it was the 10th consecutive month of double-digit year-over-year growth.
Mortgage rates also play a factor in holiday home sales. We've been seeing a rise in rates, with Freddie Mac reporting its latest average on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was at 4.35%, up from 4.16% the previous week. Consecutive weekly climbs in interest rates tend to motivate buyers even more.
We know this first hand, and that's why we’ve created a special holiday program to help sellers navigate listing their home over the holidays without sacrificing their sanity or precious time with family.
Our Holiday Marketing Program is designed with seller privacy in mind. There are no for-sale signs in your yard, no lock boxes on your door, no open houses and no advertising identifying your home.
Instead, we’re offering to market your home to our sphere of serious buyers and show your home only by appointment. No fuss. No inconveniences. But you'll be able take advantage of opportunities you'd otherwise miss by waiting until the new year.
And on January 1, 2014, if your home has not sold, it will automatically convert to our exclusive home marketing program. You won't have to start from scratch.
We created this program because in our experience we know that there are a lot of opportunities for sellers over the holidays, but we understand why a homeowner would not want to deal with the stress of listing their home during this time.
If you're interested in learning more, ask an me for more information.
Happy Holidays!
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